), 1) Bryce Harper, Phillies: 13 years, $330 million (2019-31).
After failing to receive Cy Young votes in '18 for the first time since 2010, Kershaw again appeared on ballots in '19, finishing tied for eighth, even in a year when he missed the start of the season due to injury. He’s MLB’s second-highest-paid player with a $13.33 million adjusted salary.
The other? 1) $430 million - Mike Trout, MLB The two-time American League MVP will earn an average annual salary of …
He was a three-time National League MVP Award winner ('05 and '08-09), a two-time World Series champ ('06 and '11), the '01 NL Rookie of the Year Award winner, a nine-time All-Star ('01, 2003-10), a back-to-back home run champion ('09-10) and a batting champion ('03). But now, it’s clear the top end of baseball’s market has caught up.
He has an opt-out after the 2023 season.
Arenado can opt-out and become a free agent after the 2021 season. If the historic 2018-19 offseason had a consistent theme with its headliners, it was probably comfort. 3) Manny Machado, Padres: 10 years, $300 million (2019-28). Rendon’s $35 million average annual value is the highest ever for a third baseman and tied for third highest regardless of position, with Strasburg. Before Strasburg, the largest free-agent contract ever awarded to a pitcher belonged to Price, who joined a small group of $200 million pitchers -- Zack Greinke, Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw are the others -- when he went to Boston in the offseason of 2015. When he signed the deal, this was the largest contract for a pitcher, by both total value and average annual value -- but Cole surpassed that the same week. Listing the top payroll, base, & average salaries, plus cash, earnings, contracts, and bonuses, for all active MLB players.
Phillies -- Bryce Harper, RF ($27.5 million): For all the hype about his contract last offseason, this number is relatively modest compared to some other players on this list. The source for the salary info is Cot's Baseball Contracts, at Baseball Prospectus. Where Is Tropical Storm Zeta Headed Next? An elite two-way player, Machado will anchor what the Padres hope will be a bright future, with shortstop phenom Fernando Tatis Jr. playing next to him, and many more elite up-and-comers on the way from MLB's top farm system. Verlander enters the 2020 season with a two-year, $66 million contract. Astros -- Zack Greinke, RHP ($35 million): The D-backs are paying about $10 million of this. "I want to earn every penny that I get here," Cano said at the beginning of 2018. Nolan Arenado, Rockies: 8 years, $260 million. Stanton enjoyed some prolific seasons in Miami -- including a memorable 59-homer, NL MVP campaign in 2017 -- before the Marlins traded him to the Yankees to kickstart a rebuilding phase just weeks after he took home the MVP hardware. The World Series favorites for the 2020 MLB season are also the biggest spenders in baseball. Cole was taken first overall by the Pirates in 2011, while Harper was first overall in ‘10. In total, he will earn $426.5 million over 12 years.
Here are the world's top 10 highest-paid athletes by contract. Orioles -- Chris Davis, DH ($21.1 million): Much has been made of how well Davis has comported himself during his struggles of recent years. 8-T) David Price, LHP, LAD: $32 millionFull contract: 7 years, $217 million (2016-22). 6. Brewers -- Ryan Braun, LF ($17 million): While Christian Yelich's reported contract extension will give him the largest deal by total value in club history, his $12.5 million salary for 2020 is actually third behind Braun and Lorenzo Cain ($16 million).